Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-07-01
RQSSER. EARLY, SHERIDAN.

the eX.COniederate. Scarceiy nau
the war closed when Confederate
batteries opened upon LOngstreet,
because he took Office under re-
publican administration. The grand
old corps COMMUNICATIVE senior
by Lees choice-panoplied with an
impenetrable record, and with a
dignity that became him, answered
nothing, The guns were soon
turned against each other, and
| from President Davis down to
General Rosser, the last, we have
had nothing but elimination aud
recrimination. Joseph 3. Johnston
found time to write Jefferson Davis
down as a larcener running away
with confederate gold, which the
latter, Indignantly denied, success
fully disproved, and pen-pictured
Johnston as the masterly-inactiyity-
ever.retreating. army. demoralizi n G
failure of the war. Not a year has
passed without some shameful and
disgracefnl controversy between
ex. Confederate officers OF high
rank. at Gettysburg, when Lees
eyes beheld the first real defeat of
the Army of Northern Virginia,
the old hero gave balm 10 the ach-
ing heart of every subordinate by
saying, ait is all my FAULT When
the end came his admonition was
to educate the rising generation
and restore the broken fortunes of
our State. To these too objects he
devoted the remaining years of his
life. Casting behind them the ad-
vice and last request Of their leader
in war, the Lieutenant, Major and
Brigadier generals are engaged IN
the boyish luxury of throwing dirt
and mud at each other, seemingly
to make notoriety in peace because
| sensible of thier failure to make
reputation in war.
General Early writes wrathfully
of Rosser, but he gives him no
more than he deserves. 1t was in
worse than bad taste for Rosser to
write anything about Early and
| Chambersburg, or Sheridan and this
Valley. But by doing so he has
done both a favor and a kindness.
Early answers more fully than our
columns show, because the full
| text of his letter was carried away
from our Office, and so completely
floors Rosser that we find a quick
hedging endeavor on the part of
some friend of the latter in late
Charlottesville paper. Sheridan
contents himself with publishing
the order of Halleck transmitted
to him by Grant, in which order
the woeful expression about the
crow and the haversack occurs, in
stead of being in report of Sheri-
dams, as has been repeatedly pub
lished and spoken whenever it
would serve a political or bloody
shirt purpose in our State. Early
proves that his action had the APP
| prevail of Lee; Sheridan that he
obeyed an imperative order to pre-
vent the support of another army
in the Valley, so that the issue
might be settled on one field, and
not prolonged by repetition of the
strategy of feints upon Washing
ton. No one can envy Rosser. He
has placed himself, as he several
times did his brigade, in a pOrilous
position between fires, with the
difference that then he had help to
extricate him; now he must work
ont his own salvation.
General Rosser very much mis-
takes the temper of the people of
the Valley. They have learned
| that Sheridan did a soldiers duty
in obeying an order from a superior
at whose hands they hear that
Rosser accepted service and posi-
ton by which he accumulated the
wealth referred to by Early. He
seems not to know that General
Sheridan and Senator Cameron
rode through this Valley last sum-
mer, and we're kindly received
They spent an evening in the home
of the writer, who was Conteder-
ate soldier from II toll years of age,
and they can do so again with az lit
tie apprehension of rope for the
General as seemed to possess them
| then. at their hotel they were
serenaded by a band of music
with citizens and ex-soldiers call
! ing them out, and an ex-Lieutenant
OF artillery introducing them to
the people. The only drawback
was that both truthfully asserted
that neither could make speech.
General Rosser should be more
careful of how he sings epithets at
ex. Confederates who think it their
privilege to differ with him, other
wise the mud throwing may become
more general. The raid Of a COM
mission house after the war, when
our people we're in their direst ex-
tremity, will be remembered by
many quite as long as that of
Sheridan during the war, without
the palliatlon of having been made
in the capacity of soldier execut-
ing an order of his commander.